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Preston S. Freemer Trust pledges $75K to support Penn State DuBois students

Steve Harmic

April 5, 2013

Preston S. Freemer Trust pledges $75K to support Penn State DuBois students

Mike and Tracy Lazar of DuBois have generously pledged support to students at Penn State DuBois through the Preston Stewart Freemer Special Needs Trust. The trust is named for Tracy's son, and will contribute a total of as much as $75,000, through a gift of life insurance, to scholarship funds for students at Penn State DuBois who have a financial need.

"As the parents of a special needs child, my husband and I felt that, first and foremost, we needed to establish the Preston Stewart Freemer Special Needs Trust to insure Preston is taken care of after we’re gone," Tracy Lazar explained. She said that funds remaining in the trust after their primary goal is achieved will then be given to the campus by trustees of the fund.

"We also wanted to give back to the community that has been so kind and accepting of Preston", Tracy Lazar continued. "We thought of Penn State DuBois because I graduated from there in 2001, and while attending Penn State DuBois, I received several scholarships which helped me to earn my degree. My stepdaughter Kristine also graduated from Penn State DuBois in 2007. We feel that the DuBois campus brings a great deal to the community and we want to do our part to keep DuBois Penn State proud."

The Preston Stewart Freemer Special Needs Trust will benefit four students annually, awarding each student the significant amount of $1,000 per semester to help pay their tuition costs.

"Generosity of this kind means so much to our students," said Penn State DuBois Chancellor Melanie Hatch. She continued, "It has the potential to change lives. Receiving a scholarship can be the difference between earning your college degree and putting your dreams on hold. We are grateful to the Lazar family for contributing to resources that can be so vital to student success."

To learn more about how to make a gift to Penn State DuBois via a planned gift, such as this trust, contact Jean Wolf at 814-372-3038 or jaw57@psu.edu